After putting down the boxes, Hamish found that Elisa had already started eating. She sat in the head seat, quietly and neatly sipping on pig trotter soup.
On the other hand, Lila sat at the lowest seat. Her head was lowered with her hands placed uncomfortably on her knees, as if she had been bullied. Two bowls of rice were placed in front of her.
When she saw Hamish, a bright light flashed across Lila’s hazy dark eyes. “Hamish, it’s time to eat,” she said.
Hamish nodded and sat naturally next to Lila. He picked up his chopsticks and looked at the spicy dishes on the table, not knowing which one to take. He frowned at Elisa who was eating with great relish, suspecting that the woman had done this on purpose.
There wasn’t a single dish he liked on the messy table.
Moreover, Elisa had a weak stomach. The doctor had always advised her to eat less oily and spicy food, yet she seemed to have picked every spicy dish today.
Lila’s mind wasn’t on the food. As she lowered her head to eat, she glanced at Elisa out of the corner of her eye, gleeful at the other woman’s misfortune.
She knew Hamish was very picky about food. There wasn’t a single dish on the table that would suit his taste. It was clear Elisa didn’t understand him at all.
Hamish’s expression was very gloomy, a sign he was about to lose his temper. “Have you forgotten the doctor’s instructions completely? Can your stomach handle these?”
His words took Lila and even Elisa by surprise. They had expected Hamish to angrily scold Elisa for cooking dishes that didn’t suit his taste. But the first thing he said was concern over whether her stomach could handle the food.
Elisa stopped her chopsticks and smiled meaningfully, “If my stomach couldn’t handle it, why would I make these?”
She enthusiastically welcomed Lila, pointing at the dishes in front of her, “Miss Morris, eat up too. I made this specially for you to celebrate your moving in.”
Lila’s expression froze slightly as she bit her lower lip, looking uncomfortable.
Elisa reached out and moved the stir-fried pork belly in front of Hamish, smiling, “Eat more meat.”
On the surface she was trying to please him, but it was actually a veiled provocation.
Lila’s fingers tightened slightly as she said in a soft voice, “Miss Powell, I know you don’t want me to move in, but there’s no need to make the dishes so unpalatable.”
Smiling, Elisa asked her, “How have I made them unpalatable?”
Lila pointed at the dishes in front of her, “These dishes are oily and heavy in flavor. I’m fine with them, but…”
Elisa watched her quietly, waiting for her to finish.
Hesitating for a moment, Lila explained gently, “It’s just that Hamish doesn’t like to eat like this. He prefers lighter flavors, and would rather the dishes don’t have so many seasonings. He also doesn’t like these meats, especially pig trotters. If needed, Miss Powell, I can write down Hamish’s food preferences and avoidances.”
Her words carried a hint of showing off. Elisa’s smile deepened as she slowly asked, “So Miss Morris means that the dishes I cooked today don’t suit your tastes?”
Lila nodded and murmured in agreement.
“I see,” was all Elisa said with a smile. After scooping herself a bowl of pig trotter soup, she picked up dish after dish and dumped them swiftly into the trash can. Soon the table was cleared.
Her fingers were oily. Elisa calmly wiped them with a napkin as she looked condescendingly down at Lila’s pale face.
“Since what I’ve cooked doesn’t suit your tastes, I’ll have to trouble you to cook yourself. I’m sure Miss Morris can whip up a spread suited to Hamish’s preferences.”